1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,520 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,480 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,720 My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:10,480 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,680 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,080 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,160 Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,440 for us here today. 9 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,840 Excited to celebrate our risen Savior here today. 10 00:00:28,690 --> 00:00:35,610 The fact that he is alive is foundational to everything that we 11 00:00:35,610 --> 00:00:35,890 do. 12 00:00:36,530 --> 00:00:41,170 His resurrection is vital for every aspect of the Christian's life. 13 00:00:41,650 --> 00:00:44,130 I want to take you to a passage of scripture here this morning 14 00:00:44,690 --> 00:00:48,170 that speaks specifically to the power of the resurrection, the 15 00:00:48,170 --> 00:00:52,530 necessity of the resurrection, and ultimately the promise of the 16 00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:53,250 resurrection. 17 00:00:53,740 --> 00:00:55,940 It's found in First Corinthians, chapter 15. 18 00:00:55,940 --> 00:00:57,740 If you have your Bibles, you can turn there. 19 00:00:58,620 --> 00:01:02,940 I'm sure we will also put First Corinthians 15 up on the screen 20 00:01:02,940 --> 00:01:05,260 so that you can follow along here this morning. 21 00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:10,620 There are many people that want to have religion. 22 00:01:11,340 --> 00:01:14,140 They want to have the blessings of God, and they might 23 00:01:14,140 --> 00:01:19,180 even say that they are Christians, but deny the resurrection, 24 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,560 deny the bodily resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 25 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,320 And I'm going to show you here this morning in First Corinthians, 26 00:01:27,320 --> 00:01:31,200 chapter 15 that Paul, the Apostle Paul, said, that's impossible. 27 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,480 We cannot trust in God. 28 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,000 Believe in everything that he says, but deny the resurrection. 29 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,320 Here this morning, we're going to see that there is a presentation 30 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:42,360 of the resurrection. 31 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,920 And we're going to use a word that you might hear around churches, 32 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:47,000 and it's the gospel. 33 00:01:47,750 --> 00:01:50,310 The word gospel literally means good news. 34 00:01:51,190 --> 00:01:53,350 And there's a lot of good news that we hear in this world today. 35 00:01:53,350 --> 00:01:54,470 And there's a lot of bad news. 36 00:01:54,950 --> 00:01:55,910 I like the good news. 37 00:01:55,910 --> 00:01:57,030 I like to hear good things. 38 00:01:57,190 --> 00:01:59,030 I like to hear that someone got a raise. 39 00:01:59,030 --> 00:02:01,350 I like to hear that someone beat a sickness. 40 00:02:01,350 --> 00:02:03,990 I like to hear that my favorite team won. 41 00:02:03,990 --> 00:02:04,950 That's good news. 42 00:02:05,430 --> 00:02:08,390 But oftentimes in our life, we face a lot of bad news. 43 00:02:08,790 --> 00:02:10,630 We turn on the news and we hear bad news. 44 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:13,750 We get a phone call or a text, and it's not something that we want 45 00:02:13,750 --> 00:02:14,230 to hear. 46 00:02:14,780 --> 00:02:18,540 But here in First Corinthians, chapter 15, Paul says that this is 47 00:02:18,540 --> 00:02:22,700 the good news, the gospel, the best news, and that is the news of 48 00:02:22,700 --> 00:02:23,300 Jesus Christ. 49 00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:25,820 It says in verse one of First Corinthians, chapter 15. 50 00:02:26,140 --> 00:02:31,820 Moreover, brethren, I declare, I present unto you the gospel. 51 00:02:31,820 --> 00:02:34,620 That's the word that we mentioned already, the gospel, the 52 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:39,420 good news which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, 53 00:02:39,820 --> 00:02:41,180 and wherein Ye stand. 54 00:02:41,180 --> 00:02:45,630 So he's talking to people who have heard the gospel, he's talking 55 00:02:45,630 --> 00:02:48,910 to people who have received the gospel, and he's talking to people 56 00:02:48,910 --> 00:02:50,910 who are standing in the gospel. 57 00:02:50,910 --> 00:02:54,510 And I think that's a big message to all of us this morning 58 00:02:54,510 --> 00:02:57,430 that, number one, we need to hear the gospel, and you're in the 59 00:02:57,430 --> 00:02:58,550 right place to do that. 60 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:02,310 Number two, the next step is to receive the gospel, to believe 61 00:03:02,710 --> 00:03:06,030 in the truth of the resurrection, to believe that Jesus 62 00:03:06,030 --> 00:03:06,870 died for your sins. 63 00:03:06,870 --> 00:03:10,440 But then we see number three there in verse one, he says, and 64 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:11,480 wherein ye stand. 65 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,120 And so salvation belief is not the end. 66 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,640 It actually goes further to say that we're to live in light of 67 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:20,920 the gospel in our lives, to live in the power of the gospel, 68 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:24,360 to live in all the things that God has given us in the blessings 69 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:25,440 of salvation. 70 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,440 And he says in verse 2, by which also you're saved. 71 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,760 He says, this is the truth that saves you. 72 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,320 The Bible tells us that we should be excited about the gospel. 73 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,120 It should bring joy to us. 74 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,720 It should bring us a sense of comfort. 75 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,240 It should bring us a sense of urgency. 76 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,600 We come to church a lot of times and we go through the motions. 77 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:47,880 We come in, we sit in our pew. 78 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,960 We feel comfortable that we're there. 79 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:51,600 Or maybe you know what? 80 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,480 We watch because we're on the road or we're sick or we're watching 81 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:54,800 online. 82 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,000 And I'm not discrediting the fact that we should be in church, 83 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,640 that we should be watching a church if we're not able to be there 84 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:02,040 in person. 85 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:02,920 I'm not saying that. 86 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:07,510 But what I am saying is that oftentimes we can lose the joy and 87 00:04:07,510 --> 00:04:09,230 the excitement of our salvation. 88 00:04:09,550 --> 00:04:12,270 And what he says here is that we are saved by that. 89 00:04:12,270 --> 00:04:13,630 That's what gives us life. 90 00:04:14,270 --> 00:04:17,190 If you keep in memory, he says, remember this, what I have 91 00:04:17,190 --> 00:04:18,030 preached unto you. 92 00:04:18,030 --> 00:04:20,349 Unless ye have believed in vain. 93 00:04:20,349 --> 00:04:24,390 He says, if you don't remember what God has done for you, you're 94 00:04:24,390 --> 00:04:25,310 believing in vain. 95 00:04:25,310 --> 00:04:25,550 Why? 96 00:04:25,550 --> 00:04:26,990 Because you're missing the point. 97 00:04:27,870 --> 00:04:29,230 The point about coming to church. 98 00:04:29,230 --> 00:04:32,480 And I know that a lot of us got in our Easter clothes today and 99 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,400 we came out and, you know, we're taking pictures and we have 100 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,200 opportunities for you to take pictures, but that's not the reason 101 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:38,920 why we're here. 102 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,000 At least it shouldn't be the reason why we're here. 103 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:42,120 We. 104 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,040 Some of you are already thinking about what you're going 105 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,520 to have for Easter lunch or Easter supper, whatever you might 106 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:48,280 be having today. 107 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:48,680 But. 108 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,520 But that's not the reason why we get together, even though those 109 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:52,600 are great benefits. 110 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,960 He says, why we come together, why we believe, why we celebrate, 111 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,300 why we worship, why we live with confidence is because of the 112 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:00,660 gospel. 113 00:05:00,660 --> 00:05:01,300 Verse 3. 114 00:05:01,380 --> 00:05:03,220 He's going to present the Gospel. 115 00:05:03,540 --> 00:05:07,460 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. 116 00:05:07,540 --> 00:05:12,100 He says, I'm telling you what I know, how that Christ died for 117 00:05:12,100 --> 00:05:14,500 our sins according to the Scriptures. 118 00:05:14,660 --> 00:05:19,060 That's what we talked about on Friday, the sacrifice of our Savior, 119 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:20,500 the crucifixion. 120 00:05:20,900 --> 00:05:22,820 And Jesus did just that for us. 121 00:05:22,820 --> 00:05:24,580 He went to the cross for us. 122 00:05:24,580 --> 00:05:26,820 He went through excruciating pain. 123 00:05:26,820 --> 00:05:29,510 We mentioned that that word excruciating literally means the 124 00:05:29,510 --> 00:05:31,630 way of the cross or from the cross. 125 00:05:32,270 --> 00:05:37,470 Jesus went through physical agony for those who he loves. 126 00:05:38,190 --> 00:05:41,830 But not only did he take that physical pain, but he also bore the 127 00:05:41,830 --> 00:05:44,910 weight of the wrath of God, the payment for our sins. 128 00:05:45,870 --> 00:05:49,310 I heard recently someone saying, well, who really killed Jesus? 129 00:05:49,310 --> 00:05:52,350 And we could get into the nuances of that question. 130 00:05:52,590 --> 00:05:56,020 But really, it was my sin that led him to the cross. 131 00:05:56,900 --> 00:05:58,260 I am the guilty one. 132 00:05:58,660 --> 00:06:02,500 I might as well have been the one who nailed him to the cross because 133 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:03,380 of my sins. 134 00:06:03,540 --> 00:06:06,180 Now we know that there were physical people there doing things, 135 00:06:06,260 --> 00:06:09,220 but ultimately we see through Scripture that he loves us enough 136 00:06:09,220 --> 00:06:10,020 to go to the cross. 137 00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:13,780 Romans 5:8, he demonstrated his love toward us in that while 138 00:06:13,780 --> 00:06:16,340 we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 139 00:06:16,340 --> 00:06:19,900 And so the first step of understanding the Gospel is to know 140 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:22,040 that Jesus Christ died, died for you. 141 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,200 He didn't just die for the world, even though he did. 142 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,000 He didn't just die for Pastor Josh, even though he did, but he 143 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:28,760 died for you. 144 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,120 And then, and I love how it says it there at the end of verse 145 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,800 three, says, according to the Scriptures, meaning this was already 146 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,520 stated, God is just doing what he said he would do. 147 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:42,200 God is following through. 148 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:43,480 God is faithful. 149 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,520 God is always true to what he says. 150 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,840 So he said he would do that, and he did. 151 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,280 Furthermore, verse four, and he was buried. 152 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,680 A lot of times we forget about that aspect of the Gospel, but Paul 153 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,200 mentions that he was taken down from the cross. 154 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,400 And most of you know he was laid in a tomb, a tomb of Joseph 155 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:02,360 of Arimathea. 156 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:06,200 And many people were in sadness, many people were confused, 157 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,040 but that burial was an indication that it was a real death. 158 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,960 There are some that might even argue that Jesus didn't die. 159 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,920 There's something called the swoon theory, in which he didn't 160 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:16,320 really die. 161 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:17,280 He just passed out. 162 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,280 But trust me, because of the story, you guys, guys know, Romans 163 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:22,880 were professionals in Death. 164 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:25,760 You guys know about the spear in the side? 165 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,200 That was an indication to recognize that Jesus physically had 166 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:29,600 died. 167 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,480 They wrapped him in grave clothes and they placed him in a 168 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:32,800 tomb. 169 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,520 And it says that he was buried and that here it is. 170 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:36,480 This is why we're here. 171 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,080 This is why we celebrate. 172 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:39,240 This is why we worship. 173 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:40,320 This is why we have life. 174 00:07:40,730 --> 00:07:41,250 Verse 4. 175 00:07:41,250 --> 00:07:43,930 And that he rose again the third day. 176 00:07:44,570 --> 00:07:47,370 Then he says that phrase according to the Scriptures, just 177 00:07:47,370 --> 00:07:49,850 like he said, the tomb is empty. 178 00:07:51,130 --> 00:07:53,290 The tomb is empty, but our hearts aren't empty. 179 00:07:54,090 --> 00:07:56,570 The tomb is empty, but our lives are not empty. 180 00:07:56,650 --> 00:08:00,570 That tomb no longer has any more substance in it, at least Jesus's 181 00:08:00,570 --> 00:08:01,290 physical body. 182 00:08:01,690 --> 00:08:04,410 But we know that as Christians, we have God living within 183 00:08:04,410 --> 00:08:07,050 us according to Scripture, through the Holy Spirit. 184 00:08:07,340 --> 00:08:11,340 And therefore he says, that is the Gospel, that is the presentation 185 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:12,540 of the resurrection. 186 00:08:13,180 --> 00:08:15,260 If I just said, well, the resurrection is this really cool 187 00:08:15,260 --> 00:08:18,380 historical event that can be validated, that would be a true statement. 188 00:08:18,460 --> 00:08:21,820 But it would be an understatement because as we see 189 00:08:21,820 --> 00:08:25,180 here, it is the presentation of everything that we believe. 190 00:08:25,740 --> 00:08:28,620 If you believe that Jesus died, but you don't believe he rose 191 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:29,900 again, you're missing the point. 192 00:08:30,540 --> 00:08:31,860 I'm going to try to speak in love. 193 00:08:31,860 --> 00:08:32,580 I know some of you. 194 00:08:32,580 --> 00:08:33,790 I don't know all of you, but. 195 00:08:33,860 --> 00:08:36,820 But know that I'm speaking these things this morning in love. 196 00:08:36,900 --> 00:08:40,380 But if you just believe that Jesus was an historical figure, if 197 00:08:40,380 --> 00:08:43,620 you just believe he was a great teacher, if you believe that 198 00:08:43,620 --> 00:08:47,260 he changed the world that he was in, you would only be partially 199 00:08:47,260 --> 00:08:47,700 true. 200 00:08:47,780 --> 00:08:49,780 Because he's alone, not a great teacher. 201 00:08:49,780 --> 00:08:53,100 He's alone, not just a visionary, but he is the Savior of 202 00:08:53,100 --> 00:08:53,500 the world. 203 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:55,220 He is the God of the universe. 204 00:08:55,220 --> 00:08:56,820 He is the creator of all. 205 00:08:56,900 --> 00:08:59,780 And so therefore we see, he presents the gospel. 206 00:09:00,060 --> 00:09:02,340 Paul presents the Gospel to the church at Corinth. 207 00:09:02,340 --> 00:09:05,580 And this morning the Gospel presentation is being given to you. 208 00:09:05,820 --> 00:09:07,980 The presentation of the resurrection. 209 00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:11,660 But then we go a little bit further because some might say, okay, 210 00:09:11,660 --> 00:09:12,700 well, I don't know about that. 211 00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:13,820 I don't believe in that. 212 00:09:14,780 --> 00:09:16,580 These people at this time did believe. 213 00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:19,740 He says that you believe and you receive and you stand. 214 00:09:19,980 --> 00:09:22,460 But there are some that question the validity. 215 00:09:23,020 --> 00:09:26,860 And for the sake of time, we don't have all the day to go through 216 00:09:26,860 --> 00:09:29,930 all of the proofs throughout historical records, but we do see 217 00:09:29,930 --> 00:09:33,970 here, Paul says that there is proof of the resurrection, verse 218 00:09:33,970 --> 00:09:36,250 5, and that he was seen of Cephas. 219 00:09:36,730 --> 00:09:37,690 That's Peter. 220 00:09:37,690 --> 00:09:38,450 That's Simon Peter. 221 00:09:38,450 --> 00:09:39,210 You guys know him. 222 00:09:39,610 --> 00:09:42,490 Peter saw Jesus after the resurrection. 223 00:09:43,290 --> 00:09:44,250 Then of the 12. 224 00:09:45,290 --> 00:09:48,730 After that he was seen above 500 brethren at once. 225 00:09:48,810 --> 00:09:50,730 And so this wasn't just a one off thing. 226 00:09:50,890 --> 00:09:54,730 Jesus had people that had seen him and interacted with him after 227 00:09:54,730 --> 00:09:55,690 the resurrection. 228 00:09:56,050 --> 00:09:58,090 And then this is so interesting in verse 6 what Paul 229 00:09:58,090 --> 00:10:03,250 says, he says the of these 500, of whom the greater part remain 230 00:10:03,250 --> 00:10:06,650 unto this present, but some are fallen asleep, meaning some have 231 00:10:06,650 --> 00:10:08,410 died, but others are still alive. 232 00:10:08,410 --> 00:10:09,730 You can go talk to them. 233 00:10:10,370 --> 00:10:13,330 And so we see that there's this presentation of the resurrection, 234 00:10:13,330 --> 00:10:15,570 but there's also proof of the resurrection. 235 00:10:15,970 --> 00:10:18,250 And here this morning, if you're wrestling with that, if you're 236 00:10:18,250 --> 00:10:21,690 struggling with the validity of the resurrection, number one, 237 00:10:21,690 --> 00:10:23,010 I would tell you to go to Scripture. 238 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:25,640 Scripture is the truth. 239 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,560 Scripture is the literal word of God. 240 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:31,120 And therefore Scripture points to the fact that the resurrection 241 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:31,880 is a real thing. 242 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,360 But as Christians, we shouldn't be afraid of what science 243 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,880 finds, we should not be afraid of what archaeologists find. 244 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,560 Because everything in history points to a real resurrection. 245 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,920 We see that over and over again through people trying to prove 246 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,240 that Jesus didn't exist, or people that try to prove that the 247 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:49,400 resurrection wasn't real. 248 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,120 But yet we see over and over again it is a solid foundational 249 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:57,120 truth that Jesus died and that he was buried and that he rose again. 250 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,560 So we have the presentation and we also see the proof. 251 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,360 We see in verse number 80 or 7 it says after that he was seen of 252 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,440 James, that's his half brother, then of all the apostles, 253 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,560 and then last of all, he was seen of me. 254 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:13,280 Also Paul says, I've seen him as one born out of due time. 255 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,520 Paul goes on in verses 9 through 11 to explain his personal 256 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:19,040 grace that he received from God. 257 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,580 He says, I, I was not worthy of this. 258 00:11:21,660 --> 00:11:25,700 He says, I, I, I, I was the ultimate apostle basically. 259 00:11:25,700 --> 00:11:28,620 But it wasn't because of my skill, it was because of the Lord. 260 00:11:28,620 --> 00:11:31,820 He says in verse 10, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. 261 00:11:31,820 --> 00:11:34,220 And I hope that that's your testimony here this morning. 262 00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:37,100 It is by the grace of God that I am what I am. 263 00:11:38,140 --> 00:11:41,860 And so he goes on to talk about the importance the power of 264 00:11:41,860 --> 00:11:42,860 the resurrection. 265 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:48,110 Verse 12, verse 12, he speaks directly to the power of the resurrection. 266 00:11:48,110 --> 00:11:52,070 He says, now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, 267 00:11:52,390 --> 00:11:55,870 how say some of you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 268 00:11:55,870 --> 00:11:58,470 You might be saying, what is he talking about? 269 00:11:58,790 --> 00:12:00,870 Well, there's a group of people that were basically saying 270 00:12:00,870 --> 00:12:03,270 that there's not going to be a resurrection of Christians. 271 00:12:03,590 --> 00:12:06,350 We're not going to have glorified bodies we're not going 272 00:12:06,350 --> 00:12:06,950 to resurrect. 273 00:12:06,950 --> 00:12:09,390 We're not going to have that eternal standing. 274 00:12:09,390 --> 00:12:12,720 He says, how can you say that Jesus rose from the dead and then 275 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:14,240 you don't have that hope? 276 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,440 He says in verse number 13, but if there be no resurrection of 277 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,320 the dead, then is Christ not risen? 278 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,240 He says, if you don't have that hope of your everlasting life 279 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,800 with him one day, with your glorified body one day, then you 280 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:26,240 know what? 281 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,520 You're basically saying that Christ is not risen. 282 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,520 And that's a very, very difficult thing for Paul to say to 283 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:33,920 them and for them to hear. 284 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,880 But essentially he's calling them out and saying, if you are saying 285 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,480 this, then you're saying this, that Christ is not risen. 286 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,260 And here's the effect of that verse number 14. 287 00:12:43,500 --> 00:12:49,260 And if Christ be not risen, then our preaching, then is our preaching 288 00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:49,980 vain? 289 00:12:50,940 --> 00:12:54,580 Paul says, if we don't have the resurrection, every single person 290 00:12:54,580 --> 00:12:58,260 who preaches anything about the Bible, anything about God, anything 291 00:12:58,260 --> 00:12:59,820 about Jesus is in vain. 292 00:13:00,940 --> 00:13:02,700 You say, well, what does that mean? 293 00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:03,420 That means this. 294 00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:06,900 Why does, you know, I get up here and I rail on for a certain 295 00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:10,290 amount of time, not the only preacher in the world, but all of 296 00:13:10,290 --> 00:13:13,330 us to some degree have some element of a preaching ministry. 297 00:13:13,330 --> 00:13:13,930 You say, what? 298 00:13:13,930 --> 00:13:15,250 I have a preaching ministry? 299 00:13:15,410 --> 00:13:18,050 Well, you preach by the way that you live, you preach by the 300 00:13:18,050 --> 00:13:19,170 way that you work, you. 301 00:13:19,170 --> 00:13:21,570 You preach by the way that you respond, by the way that you love, 302 00:13:21,570 --> 00:13:24,250 by the way that you parents, by the way that you do anything in 303 00:13:24,250 --> 00:13:24,610 your life. 304 00:13:24,610 --> 00:13:27,610 And so the Bible says that everything that we would preach to, 305 00:13:27,610 --> 00:13:31,010 the world would be empty if we had not the resurrection of Jesus 306 00:13:31,010 --> 00:13:31,330 Christ. 307 00:13:32,130 --> 00:13:35,980 He goes on to say a little bit more, not just our preaching would 308 00:13:35,980 --> 00:13:38,220 be in vain, but our faith. 309 00:13:38,220 --> 00:13:40,660 And your faith is also vain. 310 00:13:40,740 --> 00:13:42,220 What would we be believing? 311 00:13:42,220 --> 00:13:42,580 It. 312 00:13:42,740 --> 00:13:46,820 We would just be believing in another religious figure. 313 00:13:46,820 --> 00:13:51,860 We would just be believing in another historical person who came 314 00:13:51,860 --> 00:13:53,700 and made an impact and then left. 315 00:13:54,740 --> 00:13:59,300 He says, what you're believing in matters, and who you are believing 316 00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:00,260 in matters. 317 00:14:01,310 --> 00:14:02,990 I need to reference that again. 318 00:14:03,230 --> 00:14:05,710 Sometimes people think, oh, it's just, you know, if I, I just 319 00:14:05,710 --> 00:14:09,350 believe in love, if I just believe in unity, you know, whatever 320 00:14:09,350 --> 00:14:10,990 you're believing in, that's okay. 321 00:14:11,630 --> 00:14:14,630 Folks, I, I know that that sounds very attractive, especially 322 00:14:14,630 --> 00:14:15,550 in our world today. 323 00:14:15,710 --> 00:14:18,230 You believe this, you believe this, you believe this, and we can 324 00:14:18,230 --> 00:14:21,750 all come together and sing Kumbaya and we just be loving. 325 00:14:21,750 --> 00:14:22,830 But that's not the truth. 326 00:14:22,910 --> 00:14:26,110 The truth is, is that there is a proper way to believe and there's 327 00:14:26,110 --> 00:14:30,190 a proper person to believe in, and that is Jesus Christ. 328 00:14:30,190 --> 00:14:32,510 He is the way, the truth, and the life. 329 00:14:32,510 --> 00:14:37,150 If your faith is in anything else other than that, the Bible says 330 00:14:37,150 --> 00:14:38,230 that your faith is vain. 331 00:14:38,470 --> 00:14:39,110 Not me. 332 00:14:39,270 --> 00:14:40,950 Don't get mad at me this morning. 333 00:14:41,670 --> 00:14:44,350 If you're gonna get mad at anybody, get mad at what the scriptures 334 00:14:44,350 --> 00:14:44,669 say. 335 00:14:44,669 --> 00:14:47,750 The scriptures say that if you don't believe in Jesus and Jesus 336 00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:54,150 resurrected your preaching and your faith is vain, that word vain 337 00:14:54,750 --> 00:14:55,670 is an interesting word. 338 00:14:55,670 --> 00:14:58,350 It just means empty, hopeless, useless. 339 00:14:59,070 --> 00:15:01,910 And that's exactly what Paul is trying to explain. 340 00:15:01,910 --> 00:15:04,750 Then he says in verse number 15, yay. 341 00:15:04,830 --> 00:15:07,070 And we are found false witnesses of God. 342 00:15:07,070 --> 00:15:08,830 He says, then we would be the liars. 343 00:15:08,830 --> 00:15:12,030 God would be the liar and we would be the liars, because we have 344 00:15:12,030 --> 00:15:14,990 testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised 345 00:15:14,990 --> 00:15:15,550 not up. 346 00:15:15,630 --> 00:15:17,630 If so, be that the dead is not. 347 00:15:17,630 --> 00:15:18,670 The dead rise not. 348 00:15:18,910 --> 00:15:21,390 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. 349 00:15:21,650 --> 00:15:23,610 And if Christ be not raised, here it is. 350 00:15:23,610 --> 00:15:24,930 Here's another strong statement. 351 00:15:25,410 --> 00:15:26,610 Your faith is vain. 352 00:15:27,490 --> 00:15:31,410 And are ye yet in your sins? 353 00:15:31,410 --> 00:15:32,130 Meaning this. 354 00:15:33,330 --> 00:15:34,650 Our faith would be in vain. 355 00:15:34,650 --> 00:15:37,730 Our preaching would be in vain, and we would have no salvation. 356 00:15:37,730 --> 00:15:41,170 Without the resurrection, we would have no salvation. 357 00:15:41,170 --> 00:15:43,170 We would still be in our sins. 358 00:15:44,770 --> 00:15:45,690 Say what, what are you. 359 00:15:45,690 --> 00:15:46,690 What are you talking about? 360 00:15:46,690 --> 00:15:47,570 About our sins. 361 00:15:48,220 --> 00:15:51,060 The Bible says for all of sin to come short of the glory of God. 362 00:15:51,060 --> 00:15:53,500 The word sin literally means to miss the mark. 363 00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:55,420 I don't know if any of you guys are. 364 00:15:55,420 --> 00:15:57,860 Have ever been in, like, maybe archery. 365 00:15:57,860 --> 00:16:01,900 It's actually an archery term, and it would be to aim for something, 366 00:16:02,620 --> 00:16:06,900 in this case, righteousness, holiness, perfection, and missing 367 00:16:06,900 --> 00:16:11,500 the mark, whether it's our fault or the surrounding effects, 368 00:16:11,500 --> 00:16:13,660 but it's essentially missing the mark. 369 00:16:14,580 --> 00:16:17,860 And the Bible says that all have missed the mark, all have sinned 370 00:16:17,860 --> 00:16:19,620 and come short of the glory of God. 371 00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:22,700 But then the Bible also says that the wages or the payment of 372 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:23,540 sin is death. 373 00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:30,139 And so in this case, he says if Christ has not risen, if there 374 00:16:30,139 --> 00:16:33,700 is no resurrection, all of us have missed the mark. 375 00:16:33,780 --> 00:16:35,620 All of us are stuck in our sins. 376 00:16:35,620 --> 00:16:38,420 But then we go back to what Paul says in the very beginning about 377 00:16:38,420 --> 00:16:39,060 the Gospel. 378 00:16:40,030 --> 00:16:43,670 We trust in the Gospel, and the gospel is this, that Jesus did 379 00:16:43,670 --> 00:16:45,710 all the work I'm trusting in him. 380 00:16:45,710 --> 00:16:46,910 He didn't miss the mark. 381 00:16:47,550 --> 00:16:48,990 He hit the mark perfectly. 382 00:16:48,990 --> 00:16:51,150 And he hits the mark perfectly every single time. 383 00:16:51,230 --> 00:16:53,550 He's completely and utterly holy. 384 00:16:53,550 --> 00:16:58,030 Therefore he was the only one who could offer that sacrifice for 385 00:16:58,030 --> 00:17:02,990 us as that perfect Passover Lamb without the Shading of blood, 386 00:17:02,990 --> 00:17:04,030 there's no remission of sin. 387 00:17:04,030 --> 00:17:07,150 Therefore, Jesus's sacrifice offers us forgiveness. 388 00:17:07,150 --> 00:17:12,310 And so he says, if we don't have the resurrection, we don't have 389 00:17:12,310 --> 00:17:12,870 salvation. 390 00:17:14,230 --> 00:17:14,950 Verse 18. 391 00:17:15,590 --> 00:17:18,590 Then they also, which are fallen asleep in Christ or perish, 392 00:17:18,590 --> 00:17:21,270 meaning those that have passed away before, that's where they. 393 00:17:21,270 --> 00:17:22,150 That's where they stay. 394 00:17:22,150 --> 00:17:22,790 They're stuck. 395 00:17:24,070 --> 00:17:26,710 And then he says something so interesting in verse number 19. 396 00:17:26,950 --> 00:17:33,070 He says, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, meaning if 397 00:17:33,070 --> 00:17:35,830 our hope in Christ just is based in this time frame that we 398 00:17:35,830 --> 00:17:39,470 live on this earth, you know, if we're really healthy, 100 years, 399 00:17:40,190 --> 00:17:42,030 okay, the idea would be this. 400 00:17:42,030 --> 00:17:44,350 He says, if that's all you're living for, for Christ. 401 00:17:44,350 --> 00:17:44,870 What does. 402 00:17:44,870 --> 00:17:46,110 What does he say in verse 19? 403 00:17:46,590 --> 00:17:54,110 We are of all men most miserable say, well, I thought we're 404 00:17:54,110 --> 00:17:54,950 supposed to live for Christ now. 405 00:17:54,950 --> 00:17:55,710 That's not what he's saying. 406 00:17:55,710 --> 00:17:56,430 He's saying this. 407 00:17:56,510 --> 00:17:59,670 If our Christian life and our faith in Jesus is all about the here 408 00:17:59,670 --> 00:18:01,310 and now, we. 409 00:18:01,390 --> 00:18:02,590 We will be miserable. 410 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,800 Because I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I wake up in 411 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:06,840 the morning, I've got pain. 412 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:08,520 That's pretty miserable. 413 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,800 I turn on the news and I see a pretty miserable world. 414 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:13,240 I go to work. 415 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,200 Now, this is hypothetical because I work here. 416 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:17,160 I love what I do here. 417 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:17,600 But. 418 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,600 But if I was to go into another place, I'm miserable. 419 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,280 I go home and, you know, and you guys see that pattern. 420 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,200 And the Bible says that if that's all we're living for, I thought 421 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,800 I was saved so that God would make me perfect and that I. 422 00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:32,950 Everything would go my way and I would be perfectly healthy and 423 00:18:32,950 --> 00:18:34,430 that the world will come together. 424 00:18:34,510 --> 00:18:35,790 No, that's not what the Bible says. 425 00:18:35,790 --> 00:18:38,550 Because the Bible says, yes, God is working now, but he's working 426 00:18:38,550 --> 00:18:41,070 for eternity, and his kingdom is forever. 427 00:18:41,150 --> 00:18:43,470 And we're not just living for the here and now, even though the 428 00:18:43,470 --> 00:18:46,029 things that we do here and now matter for eternity. 429 00:18:46,270 --> 00:18:50,510 But also it's living with the hope of living with him forever and 430 00:18:50,510 --> 00:18:51,630 ever and ever. 431 00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:54,190 And therefore, we don't have to be miserable as Christians. 432 00:18:54,670 --> 00:18:56,830 A miserable Christian is an oxymoron. 433 00:18:57,130 --> 00:18:58,250 It doesn't make sense. 434 00:18:58,970 --> 00:19:01,970 Okay, you say, well, Pastor, I've been pretty miserable for a 435 00:19:01,970 --> 00:19:02,410 moment. 436 00:19:02,570 --> 00:19:05,370 A fish can be out of the water for a minute or two, but that's not 437 00:19:05,370 --> 00:19:06,330 where that fish is living. 438 00:19:06,970 --> 00:19:09,530 And the reality is, as Christians, we have to understand 439 00:19:09,530 --> 00:19:12,530 that, yes, there are moments in our life where we feel miserable, 440 00:19:12,530 --> 00:19:16,090 where we feel pitiful, where we feel hopeless, but the ultimate 441 00:19:16,570 --> 00:19:20,610 blessing and power of the resurrection is that we don't have 442 00:19:20,610 --> 00:19:24,210 to live as miserable people with hopelessness, but we can live 443 00:19:24,210 --> 00:19:24,890 with confidence. 444 00:19:25,110 --> 00:19:25,270 We. 445 00:19:25,340 --> 00:19:26,460 We can live with hope. 446 00:19:26,540 --> 00:19:30,500 We can live with that security to know that we have the resurrection 447 00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:32,780 one day, that one day we will be with our Savior. 448 00:19:32,860 --> 00:19:34,220 And so Jesus went first. 449 00:19:34,220 --> 00:19:39,900 He says in John 14, I came here to serve you and to sacrifice 450 00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:43,860 for you, but I go to prepare a place for you, and that I will come 451 00:19:43,860 --> 00:19:44,140 again. 452 00:19:44,620 --> 00:19:45,820 You will be reunited. 453 00:19:45,900 --> 00:19:49,260 And so, therefore, we've already heard this morning the presentation. 454 00:19:51,030 --> 00:19:52,190 That's verses one through four. 455 00:19:52,190 --> 00:19:55,350 We heard about the proof of the resurrection, verses five through 456 00:19:55,350 --> 00:19:55,670 eight. 457 00:19:55,990 --> 00:19:56,310 We. 458 00:19:56,310 --> 00:19:59,870 We've heard now about the power of the resurrection, verses 459 00:19:59,870 --> 00:20:00,710 12 through 19. 460 00:20:01,270 --> 00:20:01,870 The power. 461 00:20:01,870 --> 00:20:02,590 The power is this. 462 00:20:02,590 --> 00:20:03,270 It's our everything. 463 00:20:04,390 --> 00:20:05,590 It's our life force. 464 00:20:06,790 --> 00:20:07,150 It's. 465 00:20:07,150 --> 00:20:07,390 It's. 466 00:20:07,390 --> 00:20:09,270 It's what drives us every single day. 467 00:20:09,270 --> 00:20:10,870 I don't know about you guys, but I. 468 00:20:10,870 --> 00:20:11,550 There's two different. 469 00:20:11,550 --> 00:20:13,270 There's two different types of people in this world. 470 00:20:14,230 --> 00:20:18,110 There's the person who, when their gas tank goes down like two 471 00:20:18,110 --> 00:20:19,910 lines, they go, fill up their gas tank. 472 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,120 And there's the type of person that lets it go all the way down 473 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:27,600 to E and then past E. I won't tell you which one I am, but I'm 474 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:27,920 the one. 475 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,680 I'll just say I'm the one that lets it go to E and then keep going 476 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,240 to E. And I'm like, I got three miles. 477 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:33,040 I can make it there. 478 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,680 So some of you, I just made you squirm in your seat because you're 479 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:36,480 not that type of person. 480 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,240 And there's been a few times in my life where that's backfired 481 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:40,800 on me, okay? 482 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:41,680 And I've been out of power. 483 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:42,920 And. 484 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:48,410 And so the reality is, as Christians, where is. 485 00:20:48,570 --> 00:20:51,770 Is where are we tapping into for our strength? 486 00:20:52,890 --> 00:20:57,170 Where are we tapping into when it comes to what gets me up in the 487 00:20:57,170 --> 00:20:57,450 morning? 488 00:20:59,610 --> 00:21:03,690 Where am I tapping into when it comes to this idea that I'm serving 489 00:21:03,690 --> 00:21:06,570 God and I'm sacrificing for him? 490 00:21:07,210 --> 00:21:08,690 What makes me do that? 491 00:21:08,690 --> 00:21:11,380 Or for some people, they don't do that, right? 492 00:21:11,540 --> 00:21:13,780 But for others, we do it for the wrong motivations. 493 00:21:14,260 --> 00:21:16,820 And what Paul says here is that there are going to be times 494 00:21:16,820 --> 00:21:19,940 in our life where we do feel miserable, but that's not where we 495 00:21:19,940 --> 00:21:22,100 should be because we do have the hope. 496 00:21:22,180 --> 00:21:25,380 Verses 12 through 19 is all about the hypothetical if this was 497 00:21:25,380 --> 00:21:25,860 the case. 498 00:21:26,020 --> 00:21:28,260 But the beauty is this morning is that he's alive. 499 00:21:28,900 --> 00:21:30,020 What a savior. 500 00:21:30,740 --> 00:21:32,860 The empty tomb is A reality. 501 00:21:32,860 --> 00:21:34,820 Therefore, we don't have to live that way. 502 00:21:35,300 --> 00:21:38,100 We could talk a lot more about First Corinthians, chapter 15. 503 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:41,880 There's a lot there about the hope of the resurrection and what 504 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,880 that is to be when it all is culminated at the end. 505 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,840 But I want to take you all the way to verse number 53, because just 506 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,680 as much as we've heard the presentation of the Resurrection, 507 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,640 we've heard the proof of the resurrection, we've heard of the 508 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,640 power of the Resurrection, I also want you to see the promise 509 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,800 of the resurrection because God doesn't leave us empty handed. 510 00:22:05,620 --> 00:22:06,500 Sometimes people think that. 511 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:10,700 I used to think that I would hear speakers come into our church. 512 00:22:10,700 --> 00:22:13,780 I would hear speakers come into my Christian school and whether 513 00:22:13,780 --> 00:22:16,220 or not they were right or wrong. 514 00:22:16,220 --> 00:22:18,820 Sometimes I would look at them and say, they seem miserable. 515 00:22:19,780 --> 00:22:22,700 They seem like they're like frowning for Jesus instead of smiling 516 00:22:22,700 --> 00:22:23,380 for Jesus. 517 00:22:24,180 --> 00:22:26,180 I would say, like, I don't want to miss out. 518 00:22:26,580 --> 00:22:28,180 I want to have a fulfilling life. 519 00:22:29,300 --> 00:22:33,620 I want to have some kind of sufficiency, some, some kind of like 520 00:22:33,620 --> 00:22:37,300 excitement to my life when it comes to maybe entertainment or money. 521 00:22:37,540 --> 00:22:40,500 And then when God changed my heart on that was this. 522 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:42,820 There's nothing more satisfying, there's nothing more 523 00:22:42,820 --> 00:22:47,060 sufficient, there's nothing more fulfilling than a life in Christ's 524 00:22:47,140 --> 00:22:48,660 will and his way. 525 00:22:48,820 --> 00:22:51,220 And that he guides us and that he protects us. 526 00:22:51,220 --> 00:22:53,580 And so a lot of times people think Christians are just left without 527 00:22:53,580 --> 00:22:54,260 any promises. 528 00:22:54,260 --> 00:22:57,460 Like, you just got to suffer until the end and then one day you'll 529 00:22:57,460 --> 00:22:58,140 get to see Jesus. 530 00:22:58,140 --> 00:23:00,310 But no, there's something more to that. 531 00:23:00,310 --> 00:23:06,430 In verse number 53, Paul is talking about longing for the day 532 00:23:06,430 --> 00:23:09,790 when this corruptible, when he uses the word corruptible, he's talking 533 00:23:09,790 --> 00:23:11,710 about the here and now, this flesh. 534 00:23:12,430 --> 00:23:14,829 Some of you can agree, like, this body is corruptible. 535 00:23:14,829 --> 00:23:15,470 I'm, I'm. 536 00:23:15,550 --> 00:23:16,670 I'm withering away. 537 00:23:16,830 --> 00:23:17,910 And that's what he says here. 538 00:23:17,910 --> 00:23:23,150 He says in verse 53, for this corruptible body must put on incorruption, 539 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:25,240 There will be a day. 540 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,320 The Bible promises us that there will be a day when this body 541 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:32,400 that we have right now, this mortal fleshly body that's broken 542 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,680 and aging, will no longer be corruptible, but be incorruptible 543 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:38,440 in what we call a glorified body. 544 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,960 And he says, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, 545 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:46,040 this mortal must put on immortality. 546 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,000 The promise of the resurrection is this. 547 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,640 We get new bodies and we have everlasting life. 548 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,540 We are now some people, like, there's movies about people that 549 00:23:54,540 --> 00:23:55,300 are immortal. 550 00:23:55,700 --> 00:23:58,660 But the truth is, is that one day we will be able to walk in that 551 00:23:58,660 --> 00:24:00,260 confidence and in that promise. 552 00:24:01,060 --> 00:24:05,540 So verse 54 he says, so when this corruptible shall have put on 553 00:24:05,540 --> 00:24:09,300 incorruption, this mortal shall have put on immortality. 554 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:15,180 Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death 555 00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:16,660 is swallowed up in victory. 556 00:24:18,990 --> 00:24:20,270 Death, where is thy sting? 557 00:24:22,510 --> 00:24:24,350 Oh grave, where is thy victory? 558 00:24:25,710 --> 00:24:28,910 As, as a person who's in this world, sometimes we see that death 559 00:24:28,910 --> 00:24:32,030 is the end, that that death is the final act. 560 00:24:33,070 --> 00:24:35,070 But for the believer, it's not the final act. 561 00:24:35,070 --> 00:24:36,990 For Jesus, it was not the final act. 562 00:24:37,070 --> 00:24:40,990 There is security in knowing that we have something more than 563 00:24:40,990 --> 00:24:41,470 this world. 564 00:24:41,470 --> 00:24:43,550 And he says we no longer have to fear death. 565 00:24:44,270 --> 00:24:45,910 And Paul mentions it in other places. 566 00:24:45,910 --> 00:24:46,750 It's a win, win. 567 00:24:47,390 --> 00:24:51,910 I can either live and serve Jesus or I can pass on and be with 568 00:24:51,910 --> 00:24:52,190 him. 569 00:24:52,990 --> 00:24:56,110 We're living with confidence, we're living with joy. 570 00:24:56,270 --> 00:24:58,190 That's the promise of the resurrection. 571 00:24:58,590 --> 00:25:03,230 And so he goes on to say this in verse 57, but thanks be to God, 572 00:25:05,070 --> 00:25:10,430 which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 573 00:25:10,590 --> 00:25:11,790 The victory is in Jesus. 574 00:25:11,790 --> 00:25:13,390 We sing that song, Victory in Jesus. 575 00:25:13,970 --> 00:25:15,850 We got out this morning and had a sunrise service. 576 00:25:15,850 --> 00:25:17,330 We came to this service this morning. 577 00:25:17,490 --> 00:25:20,770 The reason why we can walk around victorious is not because 578 00:25:20,770 --> 00:25:21,650 we're good people. 579 00:25:21,890 --> 00:25:26,170 It's not because I'm better looking or have more money or I have 580 00:25:26,170 --> 00:25:26,770 more power. 581 00:25:26,930 --> 00:25:30,130 The reason why as a Christian, we can walk in victory is because 582 00:25:30,130 --> 00:25:34,530 our victories in Jesus, our identities in him, our victory is 583 00:25:34,530 --> 00:25:36,050 not found in our success. 584 00:25:36,370 --> 00:25:40,050 It's found in the sacrifice and the victory of Jesus Christ. 585 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,320 Verse 57 he says, thanks be to God, folks. 586 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,720 If that doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will. 587 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:48,160 Because the idea would be this. 588 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,520 We have, we can be thankful in the midst of struggles. 589 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,040 I wish I could tell you that my kids were the best behaved kids 590 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:58,240 in the world and that they, they never acted up. 591 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,040 But there's times in my life where I go, man, I just, I want my 592 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:02,240 children to be a certain way. 593 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,640 I want myself to be a certain way. 594 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,960 I want my house to be a certain way, want my country to be 595 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:08,720 a certain way. 596 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:13,200 And oftentimes we can live in a sense of what we would call bitterness, 597 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,320 of sense of ingratitude, because we're looking at things in 598 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,080 our expectations and we say, well, it's not like the way I thought 599 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,199 it should be, so therefore I'm going to be upset. 600 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,280 Instead, we should look back in verse 57 to see how it should 601 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:28,400 be without Jesus. 602 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,320 And without Jesus, what do we deserve? 603 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:32,240 Death, separation, hopelessness. 604 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:33,970 We with Jesus, we have victory. 605 00:26:33,970 --> 00:26:35,450 Therefore, I'm thankful. 606 00:26:36,250 --> 00:26:36,730 That's. 607 00:26:36,730 --> 00:26:39,410 That's the idea is that I have something more than I deserve. 608 00:26:39,410 --> 00:26:42,090 I know it's a silly phrase, and sometimes people will say this, 609 00:26:42,090 --> 00:26:42,850 like, how you doing? 610 00:26:42,850 --> 00:26:43,770 Better than I deserve. 611 00:26:43,770 --> 00:26:44,890 But that is a true statement. 612 00:26:45,450 --> 00:26:47,450 All of us are doing better than we deserve. 613 00:26:48,569 --> 00:26:52,330 And so he says, here, there is that victory in Jesus. 614 00:26:52,410 --> 00:26:55,650 And then you say, okay, so Pastor Josh, you're telling me I 615 00:26:55,650 --> 00:26:58,490 just got to suffer in this world until the very end. 616 00:26:59,490 --> 00:27:02,490 And then at the very end, I punch my ticket to heaven and I go, 617 00:27:02,490 --> 00:27:04,130 and then now I can find joy. 618 00:27:04,290 --> 00:27:06,890 Well, if that was the case, that would be enough. 619 00:27:06,890 --> 00:27:08,530 That would be gracious enough for God. 620 00:27:08,530 --> 00:27:10,010 But then we see verse 58. 621 00:27:10,010 --> 00:27:11,090 He says, therefore. 622 00:27:11,890 --> 00:27:15,290 Now, anytime you see the word therefore in the Bible, you need 623 00:27:15,290 --> 00:27:16,370 to see what it's there for. 624 00:27:16,610 --> 00:27:20,290 He's been talking about something for 57 verses. 625 00:27:21,810 --> 00:27:25,770 And so when Paul or anyone in scripture uses therefore, he's referencing 626 00:27:25,770 --> 00:27:27,090 back what he just talked about. 627 00:27:27,620 --> 00:27:28,940 He's talking about the resurrection. 628 00:27:28,940 --> 00:27:31,540 He's talking about the hope that we have in the victory in Jesus. 629 00:27:31,540 --> 00:27:35,780 And he says, therefore, my beloved brethren, my fellow Christians, 630 00:27:36,420 --> 00:27:38,420 this is what your life should look like now. 631 00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:44,820 Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the 632 00:27:44,820 --> 00:27:45,220 Lord. 633 00:27:45,220 --> 00:27:47,060 He says, get busy now. 634 00:27:47,140 --> 00:27:50,020 Don't just sit down and twiddle your thumbs till the end. 635 00:27:50,020 --> 00:27:54,770 He says, because of what you've just been told, be steadfast. 636 00:27:55,570 --> 00:28:00,010 Be unmovable in your faith, always abounding in the work of the 637 00:28:00,010 --> 00:28:01,810 Lord, the service to the Lord. 638 00:28:01,810 --> 00:28:02,210 Why? 639 00:28:02,370 --> 00:28:07,770 For as much as ye know that phrase, you know is an important 640 00:28:07,770 --> 00:28:08,690 word in Scripture. 641 00:28:09,089 --> 00:28:13,610 It's not because you feel because or. 642 00:28:13,610 --> 00:28:18,690 Or because someone says this about you, but because you know that 643 00:28:18,690 --> 00:28:22,370 your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 644 00:28:22,770 --> 00:28:24,210 Your faith's not in vain. 645 00:28:25,250 --> 00:28:26,850 Your preaching is not in vain. 646 00:28:27,330 --> 00:28:31,050 And as it says Here in verse 58, your labor or your service is 647 00:28:31,050 --> 00:28:32,770 not in vain in the Lord. 648 00:28:32,770 --> 00:28:34,010 It says, get busy now. 649 00:28:34,010 --> 00:28:34,250 Why? 650 00:28:34,250 --> 00:28:39,610 Because one day we will understand why and how God was able 651 00:28:39,610 --> 00:28:40,530 to do what he did. 652 00:28:40,690 --> 00:28:42,570 Sometimes in our life we can't understand it. 653 00:28:42,570 --> 00:28:46,050 We can't wrap our minds around how God could forgive me, why God 654 00:28:46,050 --> 00:28:46,770 would forgive me. 655 00:28:46,970 --> 00:28:49,130 But one day we will be able to experience that love. 656 00:28:49,130 --> 00:28:51,930 And Paul says in the book of Romans that, hey, you know what? 657 00:28:52,170 --> 00:28:55,290 When we get there one day we're going to say the sufferings 658 00:28:55,290 --> 00:28:57,810 of this world were nothing in comparison to the blessing that I 659 00:28:57,810 --> 00:28:58,410 find now. 660 00:28:58,490 --> 00:29:01,250 So I need to experience that blessing even. 661 00:29:01,250 --> 00:29:02,250 Even temporarily. 662 00:29:02,330 --> 00:29:02,969 You know what? 663 00:29:02,969 --> 00:29:06,130 For me, Sunday mornings are for me, just a. I mean, it's just 664 00:29:06,130 --> 00:29:10,250 a little glimpse of what it'll be one day to be with our fellow 665 00:29:10,250 --> 00:29:12,570 believers forever and ever and ever. 666 00:29:13,820 --> 00:29:14,700 And that's exciting. 667 00:29:15,180 --> 00:29:15,700 I. I'm. 668 00:29:15,700 --> 00:29:18,940 I'm excited to worship God one day together with all the saints 669 00:29:19,020 --> 00:29:19,980 from all of history. 670 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:23,260 But also think about this. 671 00:29:23,260 --> 00:29:23,620 We. 672 00:29:23,620 --> 00:29:25,340 And I really want you to think about this. 673 00:29:25,420 --> 00:29:27,620 We're going to be in the presence of our Savior who did all 674 00:29:27,620 --> 00:29:28,300 this for us. 675 00:29:28,859 --> 00:29:30,820 I've heard some people say, what, are we just going to worship 676 00:29:30,820 --> 00:29:31,900 God forever in heaven? 677 00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:34,860 That's going to seem a little boring, folks. 678 00:29:35,660 --> 00:29:38,380 It might seem boring now because we've got all these distractions. 679 00:29:39,980 --> 00:29:40,420 We've got. 680 00:29:40,420 --> 00:29:42,060 We've got all these pains. 681 00:29:42,300 --> 00:29:44,620 We've got all these things that hold us back. 682 00:29:45,020 --> 00:29:47,580 But what I will say is, folks, one day we're going to take God's 683 00:29:47,580 --> 00:29:48,060 word for it. 684 00:29:48,060 --> 00:29:49,580 It will all be worth it. 685 00:29:50,220 --> 00:29:52,260 And so let us live in light of that. 686 00:29:52,260 --> 00:29:55,140 And then he says that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 687 00:29:55,140 --> 00:29:56,140 And the same power. 688 00:29:56,140 --> 00:29:57,380 This is Romans, chapter 8. 689 00:29:57,380 --> 00:30:00,940 The same power that rose Jesus from the dead is the power that's 690 00:30:00,940 --> 00:30:02,380 living with you within the Holy Spirit. 691 00:30:03,660 --> 00:30:05,740 And so here today, we can live victorious. 692 00:30:06,970 --> 00:30:07,250 I know. 693 00:30:07,250 --> 00:30:10,570 I've heard, even recently, Christians are losing the. 694 00:30:11,130 --> 00:30:13,690 The movement of the church is failing, folks. 695 00:30:14,490 --> 00:30:17,370 The power of hell will not prevail against us. 696 00:30:17,370 --> 00:30:19,610 The gates of hell will not prevail against the church. 697 00:30:21,290 --> 00:30:25,050 We, as shallow Christians, lose sight of what God is already 698 00:30:25,050 --> 00:30:26,330 going to do, folks. 699 00:30:26,330 --> 00:30:27,050 He wins. 700 00:30:27,930 --> 00:30:28,650 He wins. 701 00:30:28,650 --> 00:30:29,770 Are we going to be part of it? 702 00:30:30,170 --> 00:30:31,090 Are you going to join in? 703 00:30:31,090 --> 00:30:34,410 Are you going to say, hey, I want to be busy for the work of Jesus 704 00:30:34,410 --> 00:30:34,730 Christ? 705 00:30:36,250 --> 00:30:38,650 But you can't be busy, and you can't have that type of confidence 706 00:30:38,650 --> 00:30:40,090 without a relationship with him. 707 00:30:41,210 --> 00:30:43,450 And so here this morning, we're going to have an opportunity 708 00:30:43,450 --> 00:30:46,090 to respond to the preaching of the word of God. 709 00:30:47,050 --> 00:30:48,970 This is not Pastor Josh's preaching. 710 00:30:49,370 --> 00:30:49,850 This is. 711 00:30:49,850 --> 00:30:54,610 This is not Middletown Baptist's exclusive turn and perspective 712 00:30:54,610 --> 00:30:55,450 on the gospel. 713 00:30:56,090 --> 00:31:02,840 This is the word of God being presented to a group of people who 714 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:04,160 are here for a reason. 715 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,600 I don't know what your reason is for being here today. 716 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,600 I hope it's to worship Jesus. 717 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:10,840 But maybe someone. 718 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:11,520 I've said this before. 719 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:12,880 Maybe someone's been like, hey, you know what? 720 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:14,640 Come to church with me and I'll give you lunch after. 721 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,040 Hey, I don't I don't discredit that. 722 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:20,320 Okay, get people to church. 723 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:25,760 But don't just think about the physical food that might come through 724 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:26,880 coming to a church service. 725 00:31:27,450 --> 00:31:30,650 Think about the spiritual sustenance that you can find in Jesus 726 00:31:30,650 --> 00:31:30,970 Christ. 727 00:31:32,730 --> 00:31:34,530 You might be coming today with questions. 728 00:31:34,530 --> 00:31:36,170 You might be coming today with doubts. 729 00:31:36,250 --> 00:31:39,050 You might be coming today, maybe even with anger and bitterness 730 00:31:39,050 --> 00:31:40,090 towards a church setting. 731 00:31:40,090 --> 00:31:40,650 But I'm here. 732 00:31:41,770 --> 00:31:43,609 God has you here today. 733 00:31:43,930 --> 00:31:45,450 This is, this is not a stretch. 734 00:31:45,770 --> 00:31:46,850 I think this is true. 735 00:31:46,850 --> 00:31:50,210 God has you here today for a reason, for a purpose. 736 00:31:50,210 --> 00:31:52,050 You could have been of a lot of other different churches. 737 00:31:52,050 --> 00:31:53,450 You could have not come to church today. 738 00:31:53,780 --> 00:31:55,460 You could have been doing something else. 739 00:31:55,940 --> 00:31:57,580 God has you here for a purpose. 740 00:31:57,580 --> 00:32:00,380 Today might be that you come to faith. 741 00:32:00,380 --> 00:32:03,540 It might be that you come to an understanding of who Jesus Christ 742 00:32:03,540 --> 00:32:05,940 is through his death, burial, and resurrection. 743 00:32:05,940 --> 00:32:09,140 And today, as Paul says, might be the day of salvation. 744 00:32:09,300 --> 00:32:13,060 What better day to trust in Jesus Christ and have your life transformed 745 00:32:13,060 --> 00:32:16,500 than the day in which we celebrate our risen Savior? 746 00:32:17,300 --> 00:32:20,380 But then secondarily, it might be that it's been a while since you've 747 00:32:20,380 --> 00:32:21,980 had joy and, and excitement. 748 00:32:22,140 --> 00:32:26,500 And as First Corinthians 15:58 says, being steadfast, unmovable, 749 00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:28,660 always abounding in the work of the Lord. 750 00:32:28,660 --> 00:32:31,820 Maybe it's just been a while since you've had that type of joy, 751 00:32:32,220 --> 00:32:35,020 you've had that type of fellowship with other believers. 752 00:32:35,900 --> 00:32:38,820 I knew there was a time in my life that I'm like being around other 753 00:32:38,820 --> 00:32:39,340 Christians. 754 00:32:40,140 --> 00:32:40,540 What? 755 00:32:40,780 --> 00:32:42,220 That's the weirdest thing in the world. 756 00:32:42,860 --> 00:32:43,980 Now it's where I want to be. 757 00:32:43,980 --> 00:32:44,300 Why? 758 00:32:44,380 --> 00:32:49,740 Because if God loves this person and he loves me and he tells 759 00:32:49,740 --> 00:32:52,060 us we're to be united, the focus is this. 760 00:32:52,060 --> 00:32:54,500 I might not like that person's sports team that they follow. 761 00:32:54,900 --> 00:32:56,780 I might not like the food they just cooked. 762 00:32:56,780 --> 00:32:58,940 I might not like the preferences that they have in certain 763 00:32:58,940 --> 00:33:00,060 capacities of their life. 764 00:33:00,060 --> 00:33:02,700 But if they're a born again believer in Jesus Christ, that is 765 00:33:02,700 --> 00:33:04,340 my brother and that is my sister. 766 00:33:04,340 --> 00:33:08,820 And therefore I want to walk in unity with them and to show the 767 00:33:08,820 --> 00:33:09,460 love of Christ. 768 00:33:10,420 --> 00:33:12,620 So maybe that's something that God's challenged you with here this 769 00:33:12,620 --> 00:33:12,820 morning. 770 00:33:12,820 --> 00:33:13,860 But maybe it's just this. 771 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:15,320 Maybe you've been drifting. 772 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:19,240 And drifting is an easy thing to do. 773 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:21,400 It's actually the default setting. 774 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,520 If we're not locked in, we drift. 775 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:27,680 So the question would be this, Are you locked into what Jesus Christ 776 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:29,400 has done for you in the resurrection? 777 00:33:29,959 --> 00:33:31,440 But maybe there's another group of people. 778 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,560 You're like, hey, Pastor, I'm Steadfast. 779 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:34,400 I'm unmovable. 780 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:35,200 I'm ready to work. 781 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:35,880 I'm doing things. 782 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:36,600 I'm busy. 783 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:37,720 I'm praying. 784 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:39,160 I'm studying, folks. 785 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,670 Then there is that encouragement there at the end. 786 00:33:41,670 --> 00:33:43,110 Your labor is not in vain. 787 00:33:43,830 --> 00:33:45,830 Maybe you've been tempted to think that your labor is in vain. 788 00:33:45,830 --> 00:33:48,470 Some of you might say, Pastor Josh, you're telling me to join a 789 00:33:48,470 --> 00:33:48,750 ministry. 790 00:33:48,750 --> 00:33:50,550 I'm in 68 ministries right now. 791 00:33:50,710 --> 00:33:51,310 Okay? 792 00:33:51,310 --> 00:33:52,390 I can't do anymore. 793 00:33:52,870 --> 00:33:53,750 I'm worn out. 794 00:33:54,470 --> 00:33:55,190 I'm tired. 795 00:33:56,870 --> 00:33:58,710 Well, there is a time and a place to take a rest. 796 00:33:59,030 --> 00:34:00,470 The Bible talks about that. 797 00:34:00,790 --> 00:34:03,350 But there is a time and a place to go back to my motivation 798 00:34:03,350 --> 00:34:05,190 to say, lord, why am I doing what I'm doing? 799 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:07,760 Am I doing it for someone to notice me? 800 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,000 Am I doing it for some type of praise? 801 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:10,600 Am I. 802 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:12,720 Am I doing it for some type of acclaim? 803 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:15,440 Well, if that be the case, that's always going to be miserable. 804 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,160 Let me tell you firsthand experience, that's a miserable way 805 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:20,000 to serve Jesus. 806 00:34:20,240 --> 00:34:22,560 But I'm going to tell you, if you're serving Jesus because of what 807 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:26,760 58 says, verse 58, that says, do it because you know your labor 808 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,520 is not in vain, and because Jesus Christ is your hope and he 809 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,000 is your life, then I'm going to tell you that's the most rewarding, 810 00:34:32,070 --> 00:34:34,459 so satisfying, exciting things you can ever do. 811 00:34:35,259 --> 00:34:39,339 So if you're a member of Middletown Baptist Church, first 812 00:34:39,339 --> 00:34:41,819 and foremost, grow in that relationship with Jesus Christ. 813 00:34:42,939 --> 00:34:45,659 Find those areas where you can be steadfast and unmovable. 814 00:34:46,219 --> 00:34:48,699 If you're not a member of Middletown Baptist Church, if you're 815 00:34:48,859 --> 00:34:52,099 a guest or you're coming as a family member, I would encourage 816 00:34:52,099 --> 00:34:55,539 you, if not Middletown Baptist Church, find somewhere where you 817 00:34:55,539 --> 00:34:58,979 can find a meaningful relationship with Jesus and with 818 00:34:58,979 --> 00:34:59,499 his people. 819 00:35:01,750 --> 00:35:03,830 Because that's the greatest decision we could ever make. 820 00:35:04,710 --> 00:35:06,710 And so here for the next few moments, we're going to have the 821 00:35:06,710 --> 00:35:07,150 music playing. 822 00:35:07,150 --> 00:35:08,510 I'm going to ask if you're able to. 823 00:35:08,510 --> 00:35:09,350 To stand with me. 824 00:35:09,350 --> 00:35:10,670 And I'm going to say something here. 825 00:35:10,670 --> 00:35:12,990 You could just bow your head, no one looking around. 826 00:35:12,990 --> 00:35:15,869 And then also something maybe you've never heard of, bow your heart 827 00:35:15,869 --> 00:35:16,630 with humility. 828 00:35:18,630 --> 00:35:24,110 Sometimes we come into a situation and I'm trying to think 829 00:35:24,110 --> 00:35:26,070 how I would think sometimes. 830 00:35:26,570 --> 00:35:28,490 Who is this guy? 831 00:35:29,050 --> 00:35:30,170 What does he know? 832 00:35:31,050 --> 00:35:33,290 Well, don't go off of what I know or who I am. 833 00:35:33,690 --> 00:35:36,370 Go of what the Bible says and what the Holy Spirit conviction is 834 00:35:36,370 --> 00:35:37,930 in your heart right this very moment. 835 00:35:40,010 --> 00:35:41,210 The truth is the. 836 00:35:41,210 --> 00:35:44,250 The Bible tells us that it's a humbled spirit that God rewards. 837 00:35:44,890 --> 00:35:50,450 God resists the pride, resists the prideful, but gives grace to 838 00:35:50,450 --> 00:35:51,130 the humble. 839 00:35:51,530 --> 00:35:56,080 And so for this time of invitation, all I'm asking for you 840 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:57,280 to do is humble yourselves. 841 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,480 What is God speaking to you about right now? 842 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,520 If he is speaking to you and he's making it clear to you, the 843 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,120 next step would be to respond in obedience. 844 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:14,960 And nothing about these steps or these pews up front is magical 845 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:16,800 or even extra spiritual. 846 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,760 But there is a step of humility to say, I'm going to come 847 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,150 forward or I'm going to kneel down or. 848 00:36:22,220 --> 00:36:25,460 Or I'm going to humble my heart and I'm going to give my life 849 00:36:25,460 --> 00:36:29,740 to Christ either through salvation or through service. 850 00:36:30,060 --> 00:36:34,460 But ultimately, this very moment, I want to continue to stay 851 00:36:34,460 --> 00:36:36,780 in this state of humility to follow Christ. 852 00:36:36,780 --> 00:36:40,460 We've talked about the presentation of the gospel, the proof 853 00:36:40,460 --> 00:36:45,140 of the resurrection, the power of the resurrection, and ultimately 854 00:36:45,140 --> 00:36:45,660 the promise. 855 00:36:45,660 --> 00:36:47,060 Are you trusting in those promises? 856 00:36:47,060 --> 00:36:47,420 Today? 857 00:36:48,150 --> 00:36:49,190 I'm going to say a prayer. 858 00:36:49,350 --> 00:36:51,950 And after I'm done with that prayer, or even before I'm done with 859 00:36:51,950 --> 00:36:54,670 that prayer, if you want to come here up front and kneel the 860 00:36:54,670 --> 00:36:57,310 steps, or kneel at the front pew, or even you can sit down in 861 00:36:57,310 --> 00:37:00,950 your own seat and just have a time of reflection, a time of introspection, 862 00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:05,030 a time of asking God to give you the clarity and the conviction 863 00:37:05,030 --> 00:37:07,790 and the comfort to do the things that God has called you to 864 00:37:07,790 --> 00:37:08,070 do. 865 00:37:08,390 --> 00:37:10,190 And I'm going to give you that opportunity now. 866 00:37:10,190 --> 00:37:12,310 But also right after that, I need to say this. 867 00:37:12,390 --> 00:37:15,150 If you need Jesus as your Savior and you don't know where to 868 00:37:15,150 --> 00:37:17,920 turn, we've got some folks up here in the front, we've got some 869 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,440 men and we can have some ladies, and you can just come forward 870 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,000 and you can ask them, what does it mean to have salvation? 871 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,920 What does it mean to trust in the Gospel? 872 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,360 What does it mean to put faith in the resurrection? 873 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,000 The Bible says if we call upon the name of the Lord, we shall be 874 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:30,360 saved. 875 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:32,600 It's simple faith. 876 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,520 Ephesians 2:894. 877 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,880 By grace or a gift, are you saved through faith, and that not 878 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:38,400 of yourselves. 879 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:41,560 It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. 880 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,260 And so this morning is, if you need that, don't hesitate. 881 00:37:44,420 --> 00:37:47,020 Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation, work in 882 00:37:47,020 --> 00:37:52,980 hearts and lives, lead, transform, mold us to your image. 883 00:37:53,220 --> 00:37:54,940 I ask that you be in this time in Jesus name. 884 00:37:54,940 --> 00:37:55,260 Amen. 885 00:37:55,260 --> 00:37:56,580 As the music plays, some have already come. 886 00:37:56,580 --> 00:37:58,100 Follow as the Lord leads here this morning. 887 00:39:44,380 --> 00:39:46,860 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 888 00:39:46,860 --> 00:39:47,500 Podcast. 889 00:39:47,660 --> 00:39:50,060 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 890 00:39:50,950 --> 00:39:52,990 You would like to find out more information about our church 891 00:39:52,990 --> 00:39:56,470 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 892 00:39:56,790 --> 00:39:59,350 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 893 00:40:00,070 --> 00:40:04,510 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch 894 00:40:04,510 --> 00:40:08,990 dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 895 00:40:08,990 --> 00:40:11,750 along for future podcast and updates. 896 00:40:12,470 --> 00:40:13,350 Thank you so much. 897 00:40:13,590 --> 00:40:14,310 God Bless. 898 00:40:14,630 --> 00:40:15,910 Have a wonderful day.